The Boc Group, Inc.

Linde Aktiengesellschaft

Cedric Charles Hanson

Keith Nicholson

Michael Jack Race

Stuart Michael Pigott

A tunnel for the in-line anti-bacterial treatment of plucked poultry carcasses (or other animal carcasses) with a liquid cryogen or a cold gas at a temperature of less than 0&#xb0; C. has an entrance and an exit for the poultry carcasses. A continuous slot is formed in a roof of the tunnel and extends from the entrance to the exit. Poultry suspension shackles are able to pass through the slot. Thus, poultry carcasses are able to be conveyed through the tunnel. The slot follows a path which reverses direction at least once.

Tunnel

Aqueous liquid having an oxygen demand flows into a treatment vessel where it is treated by suspended aerobic bacterial solids in the presence of dissolved oxygen. A pressurised flow of the treated liquid passes to a clarifying membrane separator effective to separate the flow into a discharge stream of clear liquid and a pressurised recycle stream concentrated in the aerobic bacterial solids. A first oxic gas is employed to scour the membranes and is conveyed away from the membrane separator in the pressurised recycle stream. The pressurised recycle stream is returned to under the surface of the liquid in the treatment vessel. A second oxic gas is introduced either into the pressurised recycle stream or into a further pressurised stream of aqueous liquid flowing into the same volume. The rate of introduction of the oxic gases is controlled with reference to the pH and dissolved oxygen concentration of the liquid in the vessel.

Apparatus for treatment of aqueous liquid

Liquid in which oxygen-containing gas is to be dissolved is pumped through a main and distributed into faster-moving subsidiary streams. Each subsidiary stream passes through a turbulence-inducing means and air or oxygen is introduced into the turbulent region of alternate streams. The relative proportions of air to oxygen introduction are varied so as economically and efficiently to oxygenate the liquid. The gas-containing liquid passes through nozzles back into the volume of the liquid at sufficient velocity to cause further turbulence, making gas bubbles shear into smaller bubbles and also agitating the body of liquid.

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Lincoln, United Kingdom

Cedric Charles Hanson